The Corrosive Politics of Michele Madigan and Joe Seeman

On Saturday, September 20, 2025, Saratoga Springs Mayor John Safford was returning to City Hall from the dedication of a park in honor of the late Tommy McTygue when he was stopped by Joe Seeman, a local activist. Seeman was in front of the Post Office protesting the Trump presidency.

Seeman asked Safford if he thought that Trump lost the election in 2020 or whether he (meaning Trump) was cheated. When Safford attempts to answer, Seeman interrupts him, insisting it is a yes or no question. Safford offers that “a lot of people see just one side. A lot of people see another side. What we need to do is find a way to talk in the middle. Right now we are so divided. That’s what we are trying to do here in the city with One Saratoga.” As Safford tries to explain what he means, Seeman talks over him, making a discussion impossible. Safford then realizes that this is not a serious attempt at dialogue and excuses himself. The entire dialogue, which lasts one minute and forty-nine seconds, is included at the bottom of this post.

I would have preferred that Mayor Safford had simply answered “no,” but I know John Safford, and I know this was his attempt to soften the bitter divide that is tearing the country apart. I also knew that his failure to be direct in his answer would be exploited, despite Safford’s actual position.

Going For The Throat

Several hours later, Mayoral candidate Michele Madigan put up the video of Safford’s exchange with Seeman, along with the following text:

Realizing that he was being misrepresented, Safford responded to Madigan’s comment with an unequivocal statement contradicting Madigan’s narrative:

Rather than graciously accepting Safford’s statement and moving on, Madigan offered the following, and “boosted” the video so it would appear all over the internet:

Further exposing the ugly nature of this incident, Joe Seeman posted his comment following Madigan’s. Here are several crude and angry statements from Seeman regarding the incident. He responded to Mayor Safford with:

When I defended Safford, Seeman wrote:

In effect, Seeman doubles down, questioning the integrity of Mayor Safford’s stated position.

Is This Just Politics?

Many readers of this blog may dismiss all this as just politics. Madigan and Seeman are simply taking advantage of Safford’s error in not responding to Seeman’s question with a simple “no.” The fact that Safford’s failure to answer “no” does not represent his actual position is being buried by Madigan’s and Seeman’s continued promotion of this incident.

Expect to see the misrepresentation of Safford’s position in Madigan’s ads and mailings as we approach the coming election.

The Video

22 thoughts on “The Corrosive Politics of Michele Madigan and Joe Seeman”

  1. Why are you attacking Democrats and defending Republicans, especially a Republican who can’t come out and say unequivically that the 2020 election results were 100% valid. Stafford is trying to dodge the truth here to please his Republican supporters. It matters. That lie perpetrated the January 6 riot. We have a Saratoga ordinance right now that criminalizes homelessness, and it’s because we have a Republican majority on city council. Stop supporting Republicans, please.

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    1. Lale, I am at a loss regarding your comment. The post included an unequivocal statement by Mayor Safford that Joe Biden fairly won the election and he also condemned the January 6 violence. Far from “dodging” the truth, he met it head on.

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      1. Why would you be at a loss? Safford did NOT unequivocally state anything until he was further challenged, It’s complicated is NOT unequivocal. What is wrong with you on this one?

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    2. Lale- In addition to misrepresenting Mayor Safford’s position, I don’t know why you say the Saratoga Springs City Council has a Republican majority. Dillon Moran, Minita Sanghvi, and Tim Coll are all registered Democrats, and all three are running together on the Democratic ticket. You and Michele Madigan do not get to say who is a Democrat and who is not. It is disappointing that you would perpetuate these two pieces of disinformation.

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  2. When will Madigan acknowledge that the fiber project she shoved down everyone’s throat was a major failure? Why was she so eager to get it signed ASAP? What was in it for her? Many residents opposed it at the time for the exact reasons it failed, and she ignored them all.

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    2. In all fairness to Michele Madigan, I don’t think that she shoved the fiber project ‘down everyone’s throat’. There were a lot of unknowns when the proposal was first presented to the Council in 2017. It was described as a project that would not cost the City anything and would provide fiberoptic service to every neighborhood. Apparently, there were glitches along the way and the companies involved dropped out. It would be a good idea to give a full explanation to residents and businesses of why the plan ultimately failed.

      Currently, Verizon Fios fiberoptic cable is being installed underground in our neighborhood. As I am watching the large crews of workers spending days installing over small sections of our streets, I am reflecting on Michele Madigan’s original fiberoptic project proposal. We were told that new technology that would make it possible to rapidly install fiberoptic cable with minimal impact on existing roads or properties. Verizon must not be aware of that technology because there is nothing rapid or minimal about their installation.

      Chris Mathiesen

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  3. What amazes me is that I see on local social media sites how Seeman is promoting ‘peaceful protests’, and ‘all sides are welcome’. But he certainly contradicts that position by this encounter.
    As for Michelle, who I know, and side with her on a lot of issues, she needs to focus on local politics. What is HER plan for a better Saratoga? She’s clouding that with this.

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  4. Joe Seeman is a rabblerouser. What else would possess him to ask the mayor of a small town in upstate New York about the Presidential election results from five years ago?

    John, I agree with “Safford’s error in not responding to Seeman’s question with a simple “no.” – but wouldn’t a more appropriate response be “What does this question have to do with Saratoga Springs in the year 2025?” ?

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  5. I can’t speak for One Saratoga but as a person who supports One Saratoga, circulated petitions for One Saratoga’s slate of candidates and has joined the One Saratoga committee, I must strongly disagree with Michele Madigan’s statement. No one that I know on the One Saratoga committee has ever expressed the point of view that the result of the 2020 presidential election was ‘complicated’. Most of us are Democrats who most certainly know that Joe Biden won that election fair and square despite Donald Trump’s despicable attempts to muddy the election waters when he lost. The only complications from that election were created by Donald Trump, Rudy Giuliani and a small group of conspirators who tried to undermine our democracy.

    I don’t know why Republicans continue to fail to readily acknowledge that Joe Biden won in 2020. Perhaps it is fear of retribution from Trump, Stefanik and others. It is a sad commentary on the state of the Republican Party and the country as a whole.

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    1. “I don’t know why Republicans continue to fail to readily acknowledge that Joe Biden won in 2020” – why is this question even being asked in 2025, especially to a Mayor in Upstate New York?

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    2. Chris, as chair of the local Republican committee, here is where we stand on presidential election winners over the last 25 years:

      2000 — George W. Bush (Republican)

      2004 — George W. Bush (Republican)

      2008 — Barack Obama (Democratic)

      2012 — Barack Obama (Democratic)

      2016 — Donald Trump (Republican)

      2020 — Joe Biden (Democratic)

      2024 — Donald Trump (Republican)

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      1. Thanks for the sarcastic response Mike but why do so many other prominent Republicans continue to refuse to acknowledge that Joe Biden won the 2020 presidential election and that there is no evidence to support Donald Trump’s contention that ‘Sleepy Joe’ stole that election.

        Chris Mathiesen

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  6. This is the same Joe Seeman who accepted a donation to his political campaign from a Jack MeHoff (aka Dillon Moran) that is being investigated by the NY State Board of Elections. Seeman also co-chairs the Saratoga County Working Families Party with Lex Figuereo who is suing the city and has had some very unflattering things to say about Michele Madigan. Interesting that Seeman is now involved supporting Madigan’s campaign for mayor.

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  7. What a cheap shot by Seeman and Madigan’s campaign. It reminds me of a line from a Firesign Theater – “You so smart, who wonna da second wo wor”

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    2. So sharing a video (fact) is a cheap shot? But, Kaufman and Brandi can make assumptions and actually make things up are not?

      Odd set of values you have

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  8. Somewhat apropos and lighter-hearted:

    Many years ago a native Saratogian friend of mine was chatted up by a prominent local Republican who wanted the friend to run for local office. My friend declined, pointing out that his personality was too blunt to get elected. He nevertheless agreed to participate in a meet-the-potential-candidates event. Remigia Foy stood and asked (paraphrasing) “What is your position on abortion?” My friend answered “Remigia, what has that got to do with ensuring yard waste gets picked up on time?” After the event, the Republican recruiter told my friend “You’re right. You’d never get elected.”

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